Motor-vehicle.



F. H. JOHNSON.

MOTOR VEHILE. APPLICATION FILED MAR. 11, 1909.

a SHEETS-SHEET 1'.

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Patented May 17, 1910. A

M. annue/1g Y F. H. JUHNSON.

MOTOR VEHICLE.` APPLIOATION FILED 111111.11, 1909.

. Patented May 17, 1910.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

P. H. JOHNSON. MOTOR VEIEIICIE'.A APPLIOATION FILED 11,111.11, 1909.

Patented May 17, 1910.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

@XM humaan FRANK H. JOHNSON, 0F FARIBAULT, MINNESOT.

MMR-VEHICLE.

i Specification of Letters atekn't.

Application led March 11, 1909. Serial No. 482,753.

To all whom it muy concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK H. JOHNSON, citizen of the United States, residing at Faribault, in the county of Rice Vmd State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and usefnl Improvements in Motor-Vehicles, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to motor vehicles, and consists in .the peculiar and advantageous construction hereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawings, accompanying and forming part of this specilication: Figure 1 is a plan View ofso much of a motor vehicle or automobile as is necessary to illustrate the best practical embodiment of my invention that I have as yet devised. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is a front elevation, with some of the parts in vertical section, showing the front shaft or axle and its appurtenances and also illustrating the parts adjacent thereto. Fig. 4 is an enlarged section, taken through the forward shaft or axle of the vehicle in a plane at one side of the gear appui-tenant thereto, and illustrating the manner in which said shaft or axle and gear are coupled or connected together.

Similar letters of reference designate corresponding .parts in all of the views of the drawings.

The rear shaft or axle A of my improvements may be of any type consonant with the purpose of my invention, and ground wheels B are suitablyattached thereto so that forward rotation of the shaft will be attended by similar motion of the wheels. At or adjacent its'middle, the said shaft A is equipped with an element C, preferably a sprocket gear, adapted to form part of a driving connection, presently described; and it is also provided with an .auxiliary sprocket gear D, or is otherwisey adapted for connection with a suitable motor or driving means (not shown). The shaft A is journaled, at points adjacent the wheels B, in conventional or other suitable vanti-friction bearings, in the end portions a of a transverselydisposed, upright, open frame E, of geneial elliptical configuration; the said elliptical framebeing preferably of steel possessed of.

a certain amount of resiliency or springiness, and being provided with horizontal portions arranged below and above the shaft or axle,

respectively. i

-Fixedlyl connected to and extending forwardly from the lower horizontal portion of the open, elliptical frame E, at opposite sides ofthe longitudinal median line of the machine, are the lower frame hars F, while lixedly connected to and extending forwardly from the upper horizontal ortion of frame E are similar frame bars The lower traine bars F are fixed at their forward ends with respect to .a plate H which forms the lower member of a lower rocker hearing, presently described, and the forward ends of the upperframe bars Gr are similarly fixed with respect to a plate I which forms the upper member of an upper rocker hearing, hereinafter specifically referred to. v

J is the forward shaft or axle of the vehicle' which bears and is adapted to transmit rotary motion to forward wheels K, and is journaled in conventional or any other suitable bearings in the end portions of an open, elliptical, transverse frame L similar in configuration and character to the rear open frame E before described. On its lower horizontal bar or portion the forward transverse frame L is provided with a hearing member M, and on its upper bar or portion said frame L is provided with a bearing member N. The member M is opposed to the main frame member H, while the member N is opposed to the main frame mem- Patentee May 1v, icio. y

ber I, and the frame L has ball and socket v pivotal inountings P and Q on the frame members,as illustrated in Fig. 3. It will be observed that the devices, which carry the -balls P and Q, pass through slots in the opposite sides 'of the middle of their frame in position to receive the adjacent shaft or axle, andbeing interposed between and .lir-y edly connected to 'the lower and upper portions of the frame, as best shown in Fig. 8,

Located above the rear transverse frame E and ixedly cornected to the main frame bars Gr and also to the upper portion of said transverse frame E is a transverse har S, and

' located above vand fixed with respect to the hearing memberl, is a similar transverse har v and connected with the same in the belt W, designed to transmit motion from its supporting 60 4 T. These bars S and T are for the connection of a rectangular or other suitableframe U with which the body of the vehicle may be connected in any approved or desirable man ner. I would have it understood, however, that the bars S and 'I and the framel U do not form essential features of my invention, and that, therefore, said bars and frame may be dispensed with without involving departure from the spirit of my claimedinvention; the body in that case being connected with the described running gear in any suitable manner, compatible with' the purposes of my invention.

Surrounding the forward shaft or axle J eculiar and advantageous manner hereinafter set forth is a sprocket gear V, and between the sprocket gear C on the reanshaft or axle A and the said sprocket gear V is a sprocket the shaft A tothe shaft latter by the former. Arrangedbetween and ixedly connected with the lower and upper main frame bars F and G is a guide and holder X which receives the rear portion of the sprocket lgear. V and has for its oliice to maintain the gear V .in alinement with the, gear C and beltv W, irrespective of the horizontal swinging of the forward shaft or axle J necessary to steering of the machine, and in that Way assure the transmission of uniform power to the foward shaft or axle J andcontribute to the traction of the vehicle. The said guide and holder X comprises two parallel sides, and inv-each of. said sides is an opening X2 the forward wall X8 of which .is the only partof the side that engages the opposed side of the gear V when the same tends to swing horizontally. The said forward walls X3 of the openings X2 in the sides of the holder and guide X are curved in conformity to and are adapted to engage the portions of the gear V adjacent the toothed periphery thereof, and from this it follows that when the gear V tends to swing horizontally and is prevented by one of the sides of the holder and guide X, the operation will be attended by lonly a small amount of friction. It will also be observed by reference to the drawings and particularly to Fig. 3, that the arms Y connecting the holder and guide X with the frame bars F and G are divergent from the rear portion of the holder and guide to the said frame bars F and G, and that, therefore, there is no liability of the holder and guide X or appurtenances interfering with 'the free passage of the upper and lower stretches of the sprocket belt.`

It will be gathered from the foregoing that by virtue of the peculiar specific construction of the guide and. holder G, thel sprocket gear V is held againstswinging J and rotate the lthat in the future practice rocker bearings m. These bearings receive trunnions n on a ring p forming the inter-v mediate member of a universal joint, the inner member fr of which is arranged on the shaft or axlejJ and is providedwith trun-I v nions s, journaled in rocker bearings't in the said ring or' intermediate member p, and disposed at right angles tothe trunnions n. vBy virtue of this provision it will be manifest that the forward shaft or axle 'J may bevfreely swung horizontally in one direction or the otherwithout interrupting or otherwise affecting the continuons transmission -of rotary motion to said shaft or axle. It will also be manifest that inasmuch as the gear V is retained in alinement with the gear C and belt WV, as before described, the horizontal or vertical swinging movements of the forward shaft or` axlel J is not attended bythe imposition of strain on any 0f the parts, which is an important desideratum.

Any suitable means maybe employed for .enabling a driver to move and hold the forward shaft or axle J; the means illustrated comprising an upright roclcshaft fw, iournaled in a suitable bearing in the rupper portion of the main frame and equiped with a handle-al and a T-head y, and ro s e extending between and connecting the arms of said lever andthe struts It in the forward, transverse frame L. Swinging movements of the handle will obviously be accompanied by similar movements of the forward shaft or axle J and in that way the driver is enabled to conveniently steer the vehicle. In addition vto the practical advantages hereinbefore ascribed to my improvements, it Will be noted that the said improvements are simple and compact, and light, and are well adapted to withstand the shocks and strains to which the parts of motor vehicles are ordinarily subjected.

Asbefore stated, the construction herein illustrated anddescribed constitutes the best practical embodiment of my invention of which I am aware, but it will be understood of my inventionl such changes in the form, construction and relative arrangement of parts may be made as do not depart from vention as claimed.

'Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

A motor vehicle comprising upper and the spirit of the inlower main-frame members, verse frame, of open form, interposed between and pivoted to said frame members, a shaft journaled in the end portions of said transverse frame, ground'"wheels on said shaft, a sprocket gear surrounding the shaft, a universal joint interposed between the shaft and said gear, a sprocket belt extending around said gear and rearwardly from the same, guidev located intermediate the lower and upper stretches of said belt and having sides in vwhich forward walls of said openings integral at a front transl a vertically-disposed holder and are openings and also having' the both ends with the sides and curved in conformity to and arranged adjacent the sides of the peripheral toothed portion of the sprocket gear, and upper and lower arms integral with and divergent from the rear portion of said holder and guide and iixedly connected to the upper and lower mainframe members.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

FRANK H. JOHNSON.

Witnesses:

ROBERT A. BoswELL,v M. A. BOND. 

